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In a quandry on someone elses rabbit

madcatwoman

Mama Doe
I have a new client to clean for. Shes on her own with her children, working 50+ hours a week, just really busy.

She said she needed a cleaner and someone to just generally sort things out.

Theres a pug dog that's walked in summer?!

Then theres a rabbit outside the kitchen door in a hutch. Now its kept clean, ok its sawdust but its cleaned. The problem is every Friday I always have to fill the water bottle and the food bowl with muesli:? There was some hay but it ran out a fortnight ago, I left a note saying no hay and low on food.

Last week I didn't go. Ive been today and she told me she had gone away yesterday till tonight. The dog wasn't there but the rabbit had nothing at all, luckily I had thought ahead and taken a carrier of hay from my house. I fed her what was left of the muesli, gave her the hay and as much I as don't like them there was rabbit treats so I filled the dish up. She dived on everything, obviously hungry.

Then theres a hamster, generally it comes out to see me when I feed it, that's never got food either. Today it didn't come out, I check its bed and I think its died. I rang her and told her so the kids wouldn't see it, she says it was fine yesterday before she left???

Because she is so dizzy I do wonder about offering to take over the buying of the rabbit stuff, but its not for me to physically feed it when I only go once a week. I cant fill the hutch up full enough to last a week.

I wonder if the poor little hamster starved to death?
 
I was thinking the same, but it's not always easy to say 'take the rabbit, it's not being looked after'. Or rather it IS easy to say but often not practical to do. Maybe the family have 'outgrown' the rabbit and got bored with it.

Have you tried asking if she would like someone else to look after it, as she doesn't seem to have time and motivation? ..That is, without volunteering yourself to take it right away?
 
I was thinking the same, but it's not always easy to say 'take the rabbit, it's not being looked after'. Or rather it IS easy to say but often not practical to do. Maybe the family have 'outgrown' the rabbit and got bored with it.

Have you tried asking if she would like someone else to look after it, as she doesn't seem to have time and motivation? ..That is, without volunteering yourself to take it right away?

Oh dear very upsetting! I would ask to have it. You should say you would love a rabbit ect...she is breaking the law I am guessing the rabbit is hutch bound then? No run? Any toys?
 
The rabbit is less than a year old. Shes just in the hutch 24/7. It just doesn't sit well with me, my trio are free range etc etc.

I cant take it on, I am definitely at capacity. Shes not spayed/vaccinated.

I don't think the lady means her any harm but its just not right. I just knew the first time I went that this rabbit was going to cause me a problem. I don't mean that in a nasty way just that I knew that the situation wouldn't be right for it.

I think I might suggest to start with that Ive just got a bale of hay, would she like some to save her going out for some etc. At least then its being fed, hopefully.

Its not easy when you corresponde by text messages and notes on the kitchen table. also if I txt and say do you want me to pick up some hay/food for you she will not get any and it will be next Friday before I go again.

Then theres that chance that the kids will be upset over the hamster and she will go buy another one. The only plus to this being that if shes in a pet shop she might buy rabbit food and hay.
 
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Ive just text her.

I said that my friend has just told me that hamsters can hibernate so maybe its not dead. (I know it is I held it in my gloved hand)

I also said that I had just received my monthly bale of hay for my 3 rabbits and if she hadn't had a chance to go shopping after her night away I could pop up with some to keep her going.

She got home at 3pm its now 5pm.

Her reply was shes going pet food/hay shopping tomorrow and shes not checked the hamster yet. :shock:(Obviously the kids haven't come in wanting to see if the poor little things ok either). So if the poor little thing is dead then nobody cares, if its alive but poorly nobody cares.

I think in the short term I shall go next Friday armed with food and hay and fill everything up to the absolute top.
 
i think that's all you can do.

That's what my hubby said, after saying very firmly that the rabbit cant come here. I know I cant save everything but it just hurts knowing that things could be done better/differently.

I am sure my moment will come where she needs the rabbit rehoming then I can step in, in the mean time I will take food with me every week, maybe she will get the message, fingers crossed.

Some people just have different priorities I suppose and her kids and her new business are her priorities.
 
If you ask to take the rabbit get it safe and I will
Offer her a space. She is breaking thd law 

Thank you that's very generous of you. I will have to tread carefully with this. I fully appreciate what you are saying about her breaking the law. I am hoping not that it makes it any better but that its only a temporary blip with the new business shes started etc. Prior to the new business the rabbit did have food, that was the 1st two weeks that I went to work there.

Shes a lovely lady but a very dizzy one. She says that the hamster is sleepy and not interested in eating:?

at least for the moment the rabbit is fed/hay and watered.
 
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